Manchester residents: get used to seeing Chamber of Commerce president April DiFalco.

April DiFalco is going on her second year as president of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. She has been employed at the Chamber since 2004 and has held every position. As president, DiFalco is usually the face of the Chamber at events and on committees in Manchester and surrounding towns. She also runs the day-to-day functions at the Chamber’s office.

“I think anyone who works in any company should know how to do everything within that company,” DiFalco said. “It certainly keeps you grounded when you have a president who can still send out an E-blast to the entire membership or will still answer the phones.” She started out as an administrative assistant, was promoted to events coordinator, then to director of member services, and ultimately to president.

The Chamber works with over 31 towns in Connecticut and acts as liaison between businesses helping them to make connections they normally wouldn’t, while also promoting business growth. Manchester Chamber membership is one of the most diverse in the area, according to DiFalco. It consists of individual members, home-based businesses with several employees all the way up to large manufacturers. They include daycares, banks and restaurants and much, much more.

DiFalco said she is excited about the annual “JA Day,” which will be held at Illing Middle School on March 19. The event’s full name is Junior Achievement Day. Members from the business community will teach the young students about business and financial literacy. The Manchester Chamber is the only one in Connecticut that has the innovative JA Day program.

DiFalco also attends the monthly Bentley Alternative Education Program at Manchester High School, where a panel of business professionals answer questions about their chosen career paths.

She said that informing children about financial topics is something that is close to her heart. “It’s never too soon to teach kids about saving their money and for them to have a piggy bank,” she said.

Youth involvement is an important part of what the Chamber does, according to DiFalco. She says the Chamber tries to inform high school students that there are other options for those who have made their minds up not to enroll in a traditional college.

“It’s having them realize that not every industry necessarily requires a four-year college or four-year degree,” she said. “As much as it’s important and as much we encourage kids to go to school, we have to realize that there are some kids – that it’s not their path.” She added that sometimes individuals can benefit from a two-year college, a trade school or even on-the-job training, which is the path she chose when she joined the Chamber.

One of DiFalco’s major goals is to make the Chamber’s presence more known in the community, she said. “It’s wonderful to be able to do all the things we can for the Chamber, but if we’re not seen out in the community beyond our Chamber bubble, then all we’re doing is promoting ourselves to people who are already members,” she said. “We need to have other people see the good we’re doing out in the community.”